Remote vehicles starters for motor vehicles have been available in the market since the 1980s. A typical conventional remote starter system incorporates a microprocessor pre-programmed to receive RF (i.e., radio frequency) signals from a remote key fob via an internal or external RF circuit. The remote starter system interfaces with a motor vehicle via various transistors, relays, and data outputs, plus a variety of control inputs and external sensors. During the evolution of remote starter systems, there have been a number of technological advancements for these devices. Some of these advancements have included communication to the motor vehicle via the vehicle's data bus.
Examples of prior art remote starter systems may be seen in the following patent documents:                U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,554 (Hildreth et al.);        U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,599 (Chmielewski);        U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,186 (Long et al.);        U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,931 (Gottlieb et al.);        U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,988 (Snyder et al.);        U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,829 (Flick); and        U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,864 (Hassan et al.).        
The current and growing concern for the environment has promoted a demand for reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emissions by motor vehicles. These concerns have led an increasing number of jurisdictions to consider or implement anti-idling laws as a step toward reducing atmospheric pollution from motor vehicles, to discourage excess idling to keep a car's interior warm in cold weather or cool in hot weather. For example, the city of St. Albert, Alberta. Canada passed an “Idle-Free Bylaw” in March of 2008, prohibiting vehicle idling for more than three minutes during any 30-minute period when the outside temperature is between zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) and 30 degrees C. (86 degrees F.). Under a similar bylaw in Toronto, Ontario, idling of a motor vehicle (or a boat) must not exceed three minutes in a given 60-minute period when the outside temperature is between 5 degrees C. (41 degrees F.) and 27 degrees C. (80 degrees F.).
Known types of remote vehicle starters have proved not conducive to the desirable objectives of reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, because they encourage or make it easy for people to let the engines of their vehicles idle, whether intentionally or unintentionally, long after the engines are adequately warmed up and ready to drive, and after their vehicle interiors have warmed (or cooled) to a comfortable temperature. In addition to creating or aggravating environmental concerns, this practice has become increasingly likely to constitute a breach of municipal bylaws, leading to the imposition of fines.
For these reasons, there is a need for methods and systems for reducing motor vehicle exhaust emissions (and, in turn, reducing fuel consumption) by allowing a vehicle to idle only long enough to reach a condition of environmentally optimal operability, in accordance with selected environmental and operational criteria, particularly but not exclusively in association with remote vehicle starter systems. In addition, there is a need for such methods and systems that can be programmed to prevent the breach of laws that restrict the duration of vehicle idling, particularly but not exclusively in association with remote vehicle starter systems. The present invention is directed to these needs.